ISTANBUL (2010 FIBA World Championship) – On Friday 9th April, the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Kadir Topbaş, took representatives of Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) and members of the media on a visit of the Sinan Erdem Dome, which is close to being completed ahead of this summer’s FIBA World Championship.

The mayor shared detailed information about the dome with the attending media.

“The Sinan Erdem Dome, which will host the final games of the 2010 FIBA World Championship, was the object of a promise that it would be completed in the best way,” he said.

“Prior to the construction works, the arena was not appropriate for basketball games. We stated before that we would be able to deliver it on time, in spite of limited time left to the Championship.”

“At the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, we have previously accomplished similar works with great success and on time. In the past, we completed many arenas as well as congress centres under pressure, with tight deadlines,” he added.

“The Sinan Erdem Dome, with a budget of around 71 million TL (approx 47 million USD) and a capacity of 16’000, is also being finished in a very short period of time with the best standards for basketball games in mind. This Arena has the biggest capacity in Turkey and stands third in the whole of Europe.”

Topbaş stated that the giant video screens, scoreboard system, moveable and dismountable parquet, basket backboard support equipment and surrounding stands are all up to FIBA World Championship standards. He added that the telescopic stands enable the arena to host other events than basketball.

Additionally, the mayor emphasized that facilities for the disabled were now vastly improved, allowing easy access for people in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility. He also took the opportunity to thank everyone who took part in the construction of the arena.

After addressing the media, Topbaş took them on a tour of the arena, showing them their working area, press conference hall as well as the changing rooms, while providing them with further information and specifications regarding the area.

The attending members of the media were then shown the second floor lobbies and suites and had the chance to put forward their questions about the venue.

After the tour, Topbaş shared some information with the representatives of the TBF.

To finish things off, Topbaş took time to answer some of the media’s questions in front of an increasingly impressive Sinan Erdem Dome.